Otte Construction, Inc.
Radon Testing & Mitigation
What is Radon?

Radon is a Cancer causing radioactive gas that is produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It is found all over the world including Nebraska. Radon can be found in any home whether it is new, old, slab, crawlspace, or basement. Radon is odorless and colorless. It typically rises up through the ground and into your home through holes in the foundation, where the concentration can build up. Air pressure in a structure is usually lower than pressure in the soil under and around a structures foundation. Because of this difference in pressure a structure may act like a vacuum drawing radon in through small openings in the foundation. Radon is a radioactive element.

This means that radon is unstable and will decay into other elements over time. These elements are called decay products. When a radioactive element decays, it emits radiation. It is the radiation given off by radon and its decay products that is the health risk concern. The decay products of radon are alpha, beta, and gamma. These decay products are not gases but are solids that form in the air whenever radon is present. These solids have an electric charge. Because of this charge, the decay product can become attracted to almost any object, including particles in the air such as dust. As you breathe it, it may become trapped in your lungs. Alpha particles are of the most concern. When lodged in the mucus membrane lining that coats the lung, this means that a radioactive material is directly on your lung tissue. The living cells of the lung now can be exposed directly to the radiation from the decay product.